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There’s a certain language that rhymes spitters speak and recognize in other quality MCs. Listeners recognize it too and it’s an intangible quality that makes the Re-Up Gang (Malice, Pusha-T and Ab-Liva) one of my favorite groups.

Fine, plenty of artists—too many actually—try to relay cinema worthy tales of excess and outrageous drug dealing, but more often than not they come off flat and hackneyed in the process. More Splenda than fishscale. Clipse and Re-Up on the other hand have an uncanny knack for finding witty metaphors and clever turns of phrase that keep their rhymes sounding fresh. Also, those really paying attention will note that said music holds much more than coke tales and actually contains ample doses of reflection, rumination and righteousness amidst the bars and beats.

Plus, if you’re going to name your next mixtape Long Live the Cane, how can your team not be ill? All that is to say that this Ab-Liva joint called “Who’s Better” was a pleasant surprise on this post-Osama Bin Laden got murked day. Pusha-T on the hook, with no salmon colored garments in sight. [Props to Mikey Fresh via Big Homie]

Above, Malice gets his Tony Hawk on in Vignette #4 of his ongoing series. Below, in Vignette #3 aka “Am I My Brother’s Keeper,” he emphatically kicks, “Just remember we Batman, we ain’t nobody’s Robin,” towardes who we can safely assume is Pusha T. Before you conspiracy theorists start crying foul, Big Bro also raps, “All I do is applaud him, all I have for him is love/I’d be the mascot if ever push came to shove.”

After his Taylor Swift and Hennessey inspired hiatus, Kanye West has returned with a vengeance. XXL Mag cover, outlandish Horus chain, buzzworthy VMA performances and of course, getting quizzical shots fired at him by Dipset. While the hoopla continues to swirl about Mr. West, I’ve come to appreciate the graphic design of the artwork for his singles (black background with the occasional watermark and bold red lettering). Check your Twitter feed and you’ll see many avatars either swiping them or using them as inspiration. And of course, would be MCs are jacking them wholesale for their own work.

Here is all of Kanye’s artwork for his G.O.O.D. Fridays leaks with download links for each song. Said links probably won’t last very long. So get them while the getting is G.O.O.D. Except for that ish with Beiber—I wouldn’t share that with my worst enemy. Kanye’s fifth album Good Ass JobDark Twisted FantasyMy Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is now due November 16, for now.

“BAPE definitely helped put us in a lane and in a light and I think we did a lot for that company too…We going to the show and we got on the exclusive s**t we just got in the mail and the fans be like, “Oh s**t!” This is before I’m really Hypebeasting and shit. I’m just like, “Nah, Nigo just threw this s*** over here.” –Pusha T

Got to chop it up with Malice and Pusha T about their Play Cloths clothing line-yes, that’s how they spell it–for the good folks at Street Level. Below, Malice and his strangely entertaining vlog.

So today is the day Asher Roth drops and the Bawse hits stores tomorrow. All good but at noon I will be checking for this new record (“Kinda Like A Big Deal”) by the Brothers Thornton. It’s supposed to be released 4/20 at noon via their Play Cloths blog. They got artist KAWS on the cover art and sneaker hawker Kanye West in the mix. New music from Malice and Pusha T soothes the soul I say. Suddenly I got the urge for a Coke… [Spotted at Hypebeast]